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| Several months ago, I bought 10 Rubbermaid stackable baskets (each one measures 10 inches wide, 8 inches tall, and 20 inches from front to back) for organizing my laundry. But they were unlabeled, so I just put them in age order and started folding and sorting clothes, but this wasn't optimal. Well, now that I have a P-Touch in my life (Thanks TS!), I can make good looking labels and this weekend, every basket got a label on each handle identifying who owns the clean clothes inside. The labels are easy to read and since the P-Touch has a few different printing options, each person's name is in a nice bold box. These stackable baskets will fit across your washer and dryer: I can get about 5 on the top of mine, so when you unload the dryer you can sort into these as you go. In addition to labeling them for myself, DH, and seven children, I have one labeled "Towels and Linens" that everything else goes into. When the laundry is put away, these baskets fit into each other very nicely and store on the freezer in my laundry room. I use these in addition to regular dirty clothes laundry baskets and hampers since they aren't that big and every member of my family doesn't have a dirty clothes spot (they share according to bedrooms). But you can fit a lot of clothing in them since you can pack clothes down as you fold. I was in desperate need of a system that everyone in my family could understand and use. I folded 14 loads of laundry on Saturday. Organizing my laundry in this way is what I've been looking for since I began having children. Perhaps these ideas can help someone else. But the best idea is to put the laundry away as soon as it dries. Self discipline is what I need to keep in force. Any other laundry ideas? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by Talley_Sue_NYC (My Page) on Mon, Mar 14, 05 at 15:53
| Yay, that sounds great. I'm glad that P-touch is working for you. I find it funny--but true--that labeling something with the P-touch makes me take that label more seriously. It's so professional looking--I think it carries the message "somebody really means this." I just labeled the shoe shelves--I got tired of finding somebody had stuck stuff in the only space my snow boots will fit. So I labeled it, and while I was at it, labeled spaces for the kids' school shoes and sneakers. And the flute & recorder. |
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- Posted by cupofkindness (My Page) on Mon, Mar 14, 05 at 21:56
| Your observation is such a good one. These labels command the respect that a sharpie drawn sticker does not. They look so cool! Thanks again, Talley. |
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| I think I have some kind of laundry obsession.I've learned that I have to do two loads a day to keep it from piling up.In addition to cuookindness's basket system,I use two triple laundry carts on wheels,one with an overhead bar.When I pull clothes from the dryerI immediately seperate the shirts and hang them so they don't need ironing.DH's clothes get seperated to one of the carts.Thankfully he does his own ironing.I am using color coded plastic hangers for the rest of our shirts.It makes pulling them off the bar easy for each child.My washes are divided by color,and also kid clothes versus adult clothes(because of the way my hampers are set up),but not by weight.Towels are mixed into the loads.These get pulled into a seperate basket when I unload the dryer,as do socks and underwear,and anything that won't get hopelessly wrinkled shoved in a basket.This buys me time for folding.At the end of the day I go back and fold these.I automatically fold pants and shorts as I pull from the dryer.They seem to be quicker.With this method I can run wash while I cook dinner or vaccuum without having too much to press later. |
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- Posted by Talley_Sue_NYC (My Page) on Tue, Mar 15, 05 at 12:35
| anything that won't get hopelessly wrinkled shoved in a basket. haha! I do that too--and try to get my DH to pay attention to that when he's unloading. I get a lot of wrinkled stuff, bcs he does the laundry, and I fold MUCH later (sometimes days later....) Maybe if I can get him to hang more stuff, even my T-shirts... |
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- Posted by bouncingpig (My Page) on Tue, Mar 15, 05 at 16:58
| For myself, what worked best for me was to have a separate hamper for each person and separate ones for towels. While this makes a lot of hampers, it does eliminate sorting whose is whose. With three boys so close in size, I was always confused before. So they each have a hamper in their own rooms and so when I do their laundry, it is simply from their hamper and nothing else, so no sorting. I do love labeling though and would love a P-Touch. I do make labels on the computer though and always try to use a nice font and then outline them for a more finished look. I then cut them out and glue stick them to things. Not quite as good, but it works in a pinch. Brenda |
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- Posted by cupofkindness (My Page) on Wed, Mar 16, 05 at 7:53
| Talley: I'm thinking of using my P-Touch for labeling my kitchen cabinets. Will the P-Touch tapes peel off maple when I need to remove them? Brenda: How's it going with your husband's parents? Cupajoe: I'm going to look into one of those wheeled carts for my laundry room. Can you tell me a little more about yours? Thanks! ~Cindy |
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- Posted by Talley_Sue_NYC (My Page) on Wed, Mar 16, 05 at 9:26
| I wouldn't label real wood--I've never had good luck peeling regular tape back off of varnished wood without bringing the finish with it esp. not if it's been on a while. I assume the P-touch tape would have the same problem. If you've got melamine interiors, you could label there. |
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| My laundry catrs are both from Target.They have three canvas bins each.They are metal NOT the pvc pipe kind that fall apart easily,and are now almost three years old and going strong.One has a metal bar plus a metal shelf over the top.I should have bought them both that way. |
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- Posted by cupofkindness (My Page) on Fri, Mar 18, 05 at 18:31
| Cupajoe: I'm going to Target tonight to get a sister-in-law a baby gift! I'll take a look at those carts. Thanks! |
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- Posted by cupofkindness (My Page) on Mon, Mar 21, 05 at 13:39
| Target didn't seem to carry the laundry cart described by Cupajoe, but had several other sorting carts and separate racks with rods and shelves. But I found this drying rack in a Container Store ad, it looks very functional. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Container Store Acordian Wall Rack
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